Leicestershire family warns pet owners after dog eats corn cob

Hollie swallowed the corn on the cob at Brookside Recreation Ground in Burbage on Saturday

A dog owner is warning others to be careful after her family pet swallowed the centre of a corn on the cob.

Lisa Pateman said Hollie found the cob on the floor at Brookside Recreation Ground in Burbage, Leicestershire, on Saturday.

The cob is now lodged in the intestines of the eight-year-old cocker spaniel.

Mrs Pateman, a mother of two, said she was appealing online to cover the cost of the treatment because she did not have pet insurance.

She said her dog had eaten the cob during an afternoon walk.

"I saw she started to eat something - I thought it was like a sandwich or something that someone had chucked on the floor," she said.

"I shouted to her and walked over to take it out of her mouth.

"As I did that she just started choking on it, then I realised what it was."

Mrs Pateman, 31, said she had tried to remove the cob from her dog's mouth

Later that day, the family took Hollie to see a vet.

Mrs Pateman was told she needed an X-ray and an operation to remove the cob.

She has set up an online fundraising page to help raise money towards the costs.

The 31-year-old has also asked people to consider pets when discarding cobs.

Mrs Pateman said Hollie had always been a fit and healthy dog until now

"Please do not throw them on the floor if you happen to be eating one in the park," she said.

The British Veterinary Association has previously warned of the dangers cobs pose to dogs.

It said: "A cob can cause an obstruction which can have devastating effects on the digestive system, such as intestinal rupture."